The Trust was established in 2003 to act as a focus for the many donations supporting the social work projects of Saccidananda Ashram (Shantivanam).

Most of the income for the Trust comes from individual donations and fund raising events carried out by supporters, mostly in the UK.

The work of the charity is entirely undertaken by volunteers, with a result that 99% of the income raised goes directly to support the projects.

The Bede Griffiths Charitable Trust supports projects in and around the Saccidananda Ashram (Shantivanam) in the state of Tamil Nadu, South India by making grants to local charities with which a connection has been – and continues to be – fostered. The Trust ensures that the projects that it funds in India comply with Indian law and government regulations in respect of the receipt of overseas donations and in respect of the management of the projects.

These projects aim to enhance the lives of the poorest villagers through education and training, support for children and elderly people and through the empowerment of local groups, particularly women’s groups.

The main grant recipients are:

Saccidananda Ashram, Shantivanam: Br Martin Sahajananda lives there as a monk and for 25 years, following in Fr Bede’s footsteps, has devoted his life to the development of social work initiatives in the local villages

Swami Bede Dayananda Trust: run by Sr Rose

Ananda Ashram, Shantivanam: founded and run by Sr Mary Louisa

The Tim Pruss Memorial School, Inungur: the Headmaster and Director of which is Senthil Kumar. He is dedicated to continuing Fr Bede’s commitment to the education of the poorest children in the villages.